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3 Nov 2021

MPs vote to overturn Owen Paterson’s immediate suspension after alleged lobbying rules breach

Senior Political Correspondent

To cries of “shame” echoing around the Commons, MPs have voted to put former Conservative minister Owen Paterson’s suspension on hold, instead, opting to tear up parliament’s own disciplinary system.

It follows an investigation which found Mr Paterson had committed an “egregious breach” of lobbying rules, an investigation which he said “did not comply with natural justice”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer vowed to boycott the new committee set up to overhaul the sleaze regulations. There is no other word for it, he said –  “corruption”.